


Stay

by strawberryoneshots (nostalgicstrawberry)



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Bruce Banner x Witch!Reader, I Didn't Put the Warning for the Death Because it Doesn't Happen in the FIc, Interdimensional BULLSHIT, Other, The Witch Part Isn't Really Important Though, Tony Stark is Your BFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-15
Updated: 2017-07-15
Packaged: 2018-12-02 08:47:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11505837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nostalgicstrawberry/pseuds/strawberryoneshots
Summary: Reader is a witch, and is engaged to Bruce Banner. Well, was. He dies when they're working on a machine together. A machine to travel through dimensions. Reader finishes the machine and tries to find a universe in which he didn't die.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> More bullshit from your favorite bullshit author. Please love me. 
> 
> Y/N - Your Name.

Bruce died.

It was an accident, some sort of electrocution, you weren’t sure, even with your powers as a witch, you were limited. The two of you were working on a machine to travel through dimensions, or universes, as they were known in more common theories such as the multiverse theory.

You finish the machine alone, despite your grief. He couldn’t die in vain, you refused to let that happen no matter how much Tony, Nat, and the other members of the time told you it was okay, that you should take a break, that you should give up.

You then decided that you had to find him. You couldn’t be without your beloved fiance, it just wasn’t possible. You wished it had been you, so badly… So that’s what you look for. A dimension where you died instead of him, so that you can keep your powers (if you existed at the same time as another version of yourself, you wouldn’t have your gift.)

The first dimension is almost the same.. Except the two of you never even started working on the machine. You assume this because there’s no evidence of an anchor, or notes to build any sort of machine pinned on the walls.

“Bruce,” you say, causing him to jolt out of his zoned out working mindset.

“Y/N, I thought you left earlier. Is everything okay?”

“I didn’t leave earlier, because… I’m not your Y/N. This might be hard to believe, but.. I’m from a different universe.”

Bruce’s jaw drops.

“If you don’t believe me, here’s my teleporter. There’s an anchor in my universe, so I just have to press that glowing red button and go home. You guys have double-A batteries, right?”

He nods, still a bit stunned. He’d never seen anything like this before, and he’d never found this universe’s version of you this beautiful, even if the two of you were identical. 

Maybe it was because you were saying more to him than just small talk.

“Tell me more,” he requests, just like your Bruce would. It makes your chest hurt. As the you in this universe was alive, you were pretty drained. You didn’t have the same powers and abilities you did before.

You give a slight smile.

“Well, we built the machine together. It works kinda like a radio, different frequencies are different dimensions, like we could say that in sixty-six point three it rains donuts.   
Hypothetically, of course. This is the first universe other than mine I’ve been in.”

“Wow, really? I feel kinda honored.” He says, laughing both at that and the donut comment. God, he looks so much like your Bruce. But he’s not. You have to find a different one. 

You like this Bruce, he’s just like yours, but there’s still a you in this universe who deserves a chance. You can’t just take him from them, or them from him. “Are you okay?”

You nod, sniffing.

He had considered asking you to give him notes, maybe even help him create a machine, but you seemed to be apprehensive enough about the machine, almost scared of it, your eyes darting to the teleporter clipped on the waistband of your jeans every few seconds.

“Well, let me get Tony from his private lab, he’ll be so excited.”

So, this universe was just like yours, just no machine. That’s not so bad. But, once again, you can’t even consider taking him from this universe’s you, or the other way around. 

And, once again, you don’t have your powers. They’re important to you, and though you’d give them up for love, it still wasn’t the most desirable option.

Eventually, Tony opens the door to the main lab.

“Y/N, hey, I thought you left earlier.”

“Our Y/N left earlier. This is Y/N from a different universe,” Bruce explains for you.

“No way. April Fools was way earlier this year, you two. You’re late.”

“Don’t believe us? Look,” You say, taking the teleporter off your pants and showing it to him. He takes it from you and inspects it, and you watch him like a hawk. Haha, hawk. Get it, like Hawkeye?

“Seems legit. Well, if you decide against nocturnal habits, you’re free to use a guest room. We’ll explain this to Y/N.. Well, our Y/N, in the morning.”

You nod.

“That sounds like a good plan, thank you.”

Out of habit, you turn to Bruce to remind him to come with you to sleep in a bed instead of the lab, but stop yourself before saying anything that reveals too much about your universe or that would embarrass you. You follow Tony.

“Good night, Stark. Get some rest.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says, giving his usual smirk and rolling his eyes. But here, it’s not your Stark. But it could be, maybe. 

The next day, you’re introduced to yourself. Something about them isn’t you, though, besides their eyes not being the same color as yours. They don’t love Bruce. The two are barely even friends. Just co-workers. It’s a bit awkward to watch Bruce interact with you, but not you. 

“So, are you going to tell us how you made this machine, or are you gonna keep it a secret?” Tony asks.

“I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to modify this universe too much. I guess I could give you guys some pointers, seeing as you already know of the existence of the machine, but..” Your eyes meet Bruce’s for a moment, and you suck in a shaky breath. “I don’t know if that’s the best decision. Building the machine was dangerous. Last time I worked with Bruce on it, he died.”

Everyone looks at you, a bit spooked.

You look sad, too sad for your relationship with him to have been as distant as the one he shares with the you of this universe. Everyone becomes somber.

“Um.. I’m gonna go,” Other You says in you-fashion.

“Yeah, me too,” Tony says, following behind Other You.

“Were we friends?” Bruce asks.

“Engaged,” you correct him, and he doesn’t really know what to say to that. “We were in love,” you continue. “And then I lost you, some sort of accident, you got electrocuted, I don’t know, it’s foggy, repressed, that kind of thing…So, I’ve been looking for the universe where it was me instead.”

He still doesn’t know what to say to you, this new you that is so much more open to him than the one he knows. The you that loves him, somehow, somewhere. The you that misses him, even though he’s never died, at least, not here. The you that wanted to know him, hell, marry him, even after knowing about the other guy. 

He’s always had to control his impulses, but he indulges himself and kisses you.

“I can’t do this to you, they’re just like me, and since we’re witches…Only one of us can exist at the same time, otherwise the intruder becomes powerless. That’s me…And, what if you’re happier with them? I can’t keep you from the person you’re meant to be with, Bruce, it’s wrong.”

“Please stay. I can’t be your Bruce, the old Bruce, exactly, but.. I am Bruce. And you’re pretty spectacular.”

“So am I, the one that’s here.”

“We never even talk. You have completely different dispostitions, maybe even personalities, Y/N, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“I want my powers, and the two of you still have a chance. Those are reasons enough. Please, Bruce, don’t look at me like that. You’re making it hard.”

“It doesn’t have to be hard!” He snaps, turning a bit green.

“The guilt of knowing I was keeping you from being happier with someone else would eat me alive, I love you too much to let you do that.”

“You love me?”

“I was going to get married to you, wasn’t I? At least, the other you..”

“Remember my frequency. I’ll respect your decision to find a me that is alone, that misses you with all he is, but if you can’t.. Come back to me. Because by then, I probably will be a Bruce that misses you.”

You nod, agreeing to his terms.

1 Year Later

You couldn’t find one, not a single universe in which there was a Bruce that needed you. He always had you, someone else, or he didn’t exist.

The nearest one must’ve been too far from the anchor, or in some hidden frequency, or maybe just one of the few you didn’t check out of exhaustion or fear.

You had gotten the frequency of your first Bruce, other than the dead one, tattooed on the inside of your ring finger in one of the universes where you were basically Tony. That you was very generous, and you were actually kinda envious of them as they were pretty hot, too.

You set the teleporter to the correct frequency, and, in a flash, find Bruce alone in the lab.

“It’s you. You came back.”

You nod.

“Where’s the other me? You two not work out?”

“Nothing to work out, as we never ended up together… But, uh, to answer your question, they died in battle. Another alien attack,” he tells you, explaining why you felt less drained than you did last time you were here.

“I couldn’t find you. I was alive, or you had someone else, or, you didn’t exist, or, you were just… Wrong.”

“Am I wrong?” He asks.

You shake your head. “No, you’re perfect.”

He blushes at that, giving a smile that makes your chest ache with homesickness.

“Have you found anyone else, y’know, like..”

“Never,” He says, looking a bit surprised at the allegation as he cups your jaw, his warm, brown eyes staring into yours. He kisses you deeply, and you respond immediately. “All   
you have to do is stay,” he tells you.

And you do.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I really hope you liked it! Leave kudos, and maybe a comment, please? (Okay, the "Were we friends?" line from Bruce reminded me of the "Were we in love?" line from Cordelia in Angel and now my heart hurts really a lot. Just thought I'd share that in case any of you stan Joss Whedon beyond the Avengers movies.)


End file.
